Contrary to what head coach Gary Kubiak says, Texans cornerback Jonathan Joseph says there is no way Ed Reed plays Monday night.

The Houston Texans open their season Monday night in San Diego. The team would love nothing more than to have their newly acquired safety in the lineup.

Ed Reed is a future Hall of Famer and was signed by the Texans to anchor their pass defense. Unfortunately, he’s been sidelined by a hip injury all offseason. He missed all of training camp and the preseason.

There was good news recently though. Reed has been practicing this week and is listed as day-to-day on the injury report. Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips have both publicly said Reed might play Monday.

In all likelihood Ed Reed won’t play against the Chargers. He says he is still working through some scar tissue in his hip. Even if he can play limited snaps, it might be smarter for Houston to just sit him.

Without Reed the Texans are still favorites to beat San Diego. It is much more important to make sure he is healthy later in the season when the playoff push is on. The Texans are considered Super Bowl contenders with a healthy Ed Reed. Without Reed they are considered a playoff team that can’t get over the hump.

Do you think Jonathan Joseph let the cat out of the bag early in Houston?